McDonald's Is About To Open Its First Restaurant In Vietnam

McDonald's Vietnam in Ho Chi Minh City.YouTube/McDonald's Vietnam
Vietnam's first McDonald's restaurant is opening on Saturday, marking the fast food chain's first venture into a new southeast Asian market in two decades.

The restaurant, located in Ho Chi Minh City, will be the city's first drive-thru restaurant — which some see as a sign of Vietnam's rising wealth.

"Here McDonald's is about family entertainment," long-time Vietnam resident Frederick Burke told The Financial Times. "It has also got to be the first restaurant in Vietnam that has a drive-through — which is a sign of rising affluence in itself."

Employees have attended three-to-nine-week training sessions to prepare for the opening, according to a video introducing the new location, which is roughly 3,000 square feet and can accommodate 350 customers.

The only locally sourced foods at the restaurant will be eggs and vegetables, according to Vietnam.net. The beef will come from Australia, while pork and potatoes will come from the U.S.

The restaurant's owner, Henry Nguyen, is married to the daughter of Nguyen Tan Dung, Vietnam's Communist prime minister, according to the Financial Times. Nguyen is a former Goldman Sachs banker who worked for McDonald's when he was a student.

Here's a photo of the restaurant from McDonald's Vietnam's Facebook page: